Hurricane Harvey hits Texas with 130mph winds - latest news and updates

• Hurricane Harvey makes landfall on Texas late on Friday evening

• In pictures: the storm and damage it has caused 

• Buildings collapsed in Rockland Texas

• Thousands flee path of Category 4 hurricane

• Most powerful storm to hit US since Hurricane Katrina 2005

• President Donald Trump signs disaster proclamation

• Town tells people to write names and social security numbers on their arms

Hurricane Harvey, the largest storm to hit the US since Hurricane Katrina in 2005, slammed into the Texas coast on Friday night, bringing 130mph winds, surging waters and fears of major damage to coastal towns. 

The storm made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane, the second highest classification, and barreled into the small city of Rockport where it brought down the roof nursing home. By Saturday it had weakened to a Category 1 storm.

There were no immediate reports of fatalities and many of the pensioners were moved to a nearby prison for safety. Around 200,000 people across southeast Texas were thought to be without power as the storm hit.  

President Donald Trump said he was closely monitoring the situation but that it was "so far, so good".

Mr Trump signed an official disaster proclamation about an hour before Hurricane Harvey made landfall, with fears mounting it could be the worst storm to hit the mainland since Katrina in 2005.

Mr Trump's move will guarantee federal aid for the region. 

The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) warned that Harvey was "rapidly intensifying".

Once it made landfall, it stressed the rainfall threat had only just begun.

The impact of the hurricane could take a week to unfold with Louisiana and Texas set to be pounded with heavy rain for days.

Some places could receive as much as 40 inches.

The National Weather Service has warned that parts of southern Texas could be uninhabitable for weeks or months. It has said flooding could extend inland as river water levels rise.

Mandatory evacuations were ordered for several cities on the Texas Gulf Coast.

"My urgent message to my fellow Texans is that if you live in a region where evacuation has been ordered, you need to heed that advice and get out of harm's way while you can," said Mr Abbott said in a televised address.

"With this system's intensity and slow motion, it is the worst of both worlds," John Tharp, a forecaster with Weather Decision Technologies in Norman, Oklahoma, told Reuters. "There will be major impacts along the coast and inland with periods of prolonged rain."

Officials in Houston, the biggest city in the path of the storm, said they did not anticipate issuing evacuation orders, but expected heavy rainfall to last up to five days. 

"Houston will see close to 20 inches of rainfall," officials said in a statement. "This is likely to cause dangerous flash flooding, and will cause area flooding throughout the entire Houston region."

The mayor of the city of Corpus Christi said that his greatest concern was flooding, and advised people living in low-lying areas to evacuate.

Residents of Rockport in Texas have been told to write their names and social security numbers on their arms if they choose to remain in the town and ignore advice to evacuate.

Elsewhere in Texas, the Ford Bend County Sheriff’s Office warned residents to beware of alligators that had been displaced by the storm

“Expect them to be displaced. Simply looking for higher ground. Leave alone until water recedes., it told residents on Twitter.

The Driscoll Children's Hospital in Corpus Christi was flying at least 10 babies from its neonatal intensive care unit to Cook Children's Hospital in Fort Worth. A Cook spokeswoman said all of the babies were expected to arrive by early Friday.

President Donald Trump tweeted a video of him being briefed on the hurricane, and warned people to "plan ahead".

On Thursday night, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials moved detained immigrants housed in the projected path of Hurricane Harvey.

Daniel Bible, the field office director for the San Antonio Enforcement and Removal Operations office, said that the ICE detainees in the Port Isabel Detention Center in Port Isabel, Texas, were in the process of being moved temporarily to other facilities.

1:48PM

Trump: so far, so good

Donald Trump says he is monitoring the situation in Texas and it is "so far, so good". 

1:24PM

Sun rises to reveal damage

The sun is coming up in Texas now, giving us our first chance to survey the damage. Here's the scene in Rockport. 

Roofs of the high school and a nursing home have both partially collapsed. City's courthouse is also damaged along with other buildings in the historic downtown. 

1:22PM

Harvey downgraded to Category 1

Harvey made landfall as a Category 4 storm, the second highest on the five-tier scale, but has now weakened to a Category 1, with winds at 85mph. Category 1 can still be dangerous, here's what the National Hurricane Centre says about them. 

The storm is moving across Texas at about 6mph, which is not that fast. But a slow moving storm can in some cases cause more damage than a fast moving one because it lingers over the area rather than sweeping in and sweeping out. 

1:19PM

Trump to visit Texas

Donald Trump is expected to visit Texas later in the week after the storm has passed. 

George W Bush was criticised in 2005 for not heading straight to the site of Hurricane Katrina and instead surveying the damage from the window of Air Force One as it flew overhead.

Many thought it was sign of callousness to the suffering of the people on the ground. But experts have said since that a presidential visit to New Orleans would have tied up government resources at a time when they were badly needed on the ground. 

10:57AM

'Write your social security number on your arms'

Residents who decided not to evacuate a small Texas city directly in the path of Hurricane Harvey have been told to write their social security numbers on their arms in Sharpie so their bodies can be identified. 

Patrick Rios, a senior city councillor in Rockport, told residents on Friday to evacuate and warned those who stayed that they should make arrangements so their corpses could be identified.  

“All the advice we can give is get out. Get out now,” said Mr Rios. “Those that are going to stay, it’s unfortunate but they should make some type of preparations. Mark their arm with a Sharpie pen. Put their Social Security number on it and their name.”

He added that rescue workers would not be able to come to their aid once the storm, the largest to hit the US since Hurricane Katrina in 2005, slammed into the Texas coast.

“We’ve got first responders available, but once it gets bad, we are not going to put their lives in jeopardy. They will not get help we will not be dispatching folks that decided to stay,” said Mr Rios, who is also mayor pro tempore of the city.

8:23AM

Rockport school destroyed

People have posted videos and pictures on social media showing extensive damage to buildings in Rockport, Texas.

Unverified reports suggest the local High School has been severely hit while AP reports the Habor Master building has been completely destroyed.

Rockport Volunteer Fire Department spokeswoman Gillian Cox told the Corpus Christi Caller-Times that the roof of Rockport's high school has partially caved in. But Cox says social media posts that the school has "disappeared" are inaccurate.

Rockport City Manager Kevin Carruth tells the newspaper that the courthouse in the city about 30 miles (48 kilometers) northeast of Corpus Christi also has sustained major damage. Carruth says that a cargo trailer is halfway in the building.

Officials about 10 miles (16 kilometers) away in Aransas Pass say the Harbor Master Building along its coast has been destroyed. The Aransas Pass Police Department posted a video on its Facebook page of the building folding up from the high speed winds.

6:20AM

Rainfall threat is only beginning

The National Hurricane Centre has stressed that the rainfall threat has only just begun, with the region expected to be pounded by the storm for days.

5:56AM

Major flooding expected inland 

The National Weather Service has warned of major flooding in inland Texas as water levels rise in rivers.

5:50AM

Petrol prices set to spike  

The storm has taken out 22 per cent of Gulf of Mexico oil production, according to the US government.

The region accounts for 45 per cent of the country’s refining capacity.

Ports from Corpus Christi to Texas City, Texas, were closed to incoming vessels and Royal Dutch Shell Plc, Anadarko Petroleum Corp, Exxon Mobil Corp and others have evacuated staff from offshore oil and gas platforms.

Fears that the hurricane could cause fuel shortages has seen pump prices reach their highest level in four months.

5:39AM

 Reports of damage around Rockland, Texas 

First reports are emerging of damage.

Among the buildings to have been hit is Rockland High School and the Houston Chronicle is reporting that some structures have collapsed, with people trapped inside.

5:24AM

Flash flood warnings across Texas

National Weather Service is warning of the potential of catastrophic flooding as Hurricane Harvey moves inland and across south  eastern Texas.

In some parts of the state rainfall could reach 40 inches, the NWS has said.

5:08AM

Worst is yet to come

Days of heavy rain are expected with the National Weather Service has warned that parts of southern Texas could be uninhabitable for weeks or months.

In addition to the threat to power lines there are concerns that the hurricane could pose a threat to the drinking water supply.

4:46AM

Power outages reported

The hurricane brought a sea surge of up to 13 feet.

Already powerful winds have led to power cuts at Corpus Christi, a city of 320,000 and some nearby towns.

More outages are expected as the storm intensifies.

4:21AM

Hurricane Harvey makes landfall

At around 10 pm local time Hurricane Harvey made landfall between Port Aransas and Port O'Connor on the Texas coast. 

It is expected to dump over 3 feet (90 cm) of rain along the Texas coast and parts of Louisiana as it lingers for days.

A CNN reporter in Galveston said the city was initially coping well

3:39AM

Donald Trump signs disaster proclamation

The US president has, at the request of Texas governor, Greg Abbott, signed the official disaster proclamation guaranteeing federal help.

3:13AM

Hurricane landfall 'very soon'

 The National Hurricane Centre says Harvey is almost onshore in Texas

2:59AM

National Weather Service warns of catastrophic damage

 The National Weather Service has set out what damage a category 4 hurricane can do.

Mobile homes are likely to be destroyed and even solidly built homes can face significant damage.

Most large trees are likely to be snapped or uprooted and vast areas will be left without power and communication.

1:06AM

Too many people staying put warns Texas governor

Texas governor Greg Abbott said too many many people are staying put despite being urged to evacuate.

He urged anyone with the ability to flee the Gulf Coast to do so but stopped short of criticizing local officials who haven't ordered mandatory evacuations.

With the hurricane only hours away experts fear the time for evacuation has passed.

State emergency officials have identified at least eight counties and seven cities that have issued mandatory evacuations. More than a dozen others are under voluntary evacuation.

However, state officials said they had no estimates on how many people along the coast have heeded warnings to evacuate before Hurricane Harvey makes landfall.

12:49AM

'Write your name and social security on your arm'

Residents of Rockport in Texas have been told to write their names and social security numbers on their arms.

The advice has been given to people who ignored mandatory evacuation orders by the town's temporary mayor,  Patrick Rios.

This would enable the emergency services to identify bodies in the event of fatalities. 

"We’re suggesting if people are going to stay here, mark their arm with a Sharpie pen with their name and Social Security number," he said.

"We hate to talk about things like that," he said. "It's not something we like to do but it’s the reality, people don’t listen."

12:23AM

'We can get through this'   

Robert Rocha, fire chief at Corpus Christi, has told residents to stay inside and wait for help."People are going to suffer if they go out in this environment," he said.

"If we follow instructions and do what we are told to do, we can get through this."

Emergency services are on standby, Mr Rocha added. It is very difficult for fire fighters and law enforcement to get out and do any kind of work."

12:09AM

Harvey upgraded to Category 4 

Hurricane Harvey has been upgraded to Category 4 as it bears down on the Texas Coast.

The centre of the hurricane is about 50 miles east south east of Corpus Christi.

Winds are strengthening, the eye of the storm could see wind speeds reaching 130 mph or more.

11:46PM

'It's time to find some high ground' 

Brock Long, the FEMA administrator, has warned people who are in in the path of the hurricane that the window for evacuation has passed.

"If you are in the area and you are going to get six to 10 feet storm surges, it is time to find some high ground," he said.

Those in the area are in for a long haul, he added.

"This is going to be a marathon. Because the storm is going to slow down before landfall and stay on top of Texas and Louisiana, this is going to be a multi-day event.

"It is going to be a significant disaster in the states of Texas and Louisiana and people there are going to see their day to day activities disrupted for a very long time."

11:18PM

Cruise ships blocked from Galveston by Hurricane Harvey

The  Carnival Corporation said that three of its cruise ships are unable to return to the Port of Galveston, Texas, which has been closed ahead of Hurricane Harvey, Reuters has reported.

Two of the ships, the Carnival Freedom and the Carnival Valor, will head for New Orleans where they will pick up fresh supplies. Passengers will have the option of disembarking there, but Carnival advised them to not do so and said the ships will return to Galveston as soon as feasible.

A third ship, the Carnival Breeze, will extend its stay in Cozumel, Mexico, and begin sailing back to Galveston this weekend, the company said.

10:43PM

Air traffic controllers prepare to evacuate 

Staff working in air traffic control towers in the eye of the hurricane are being told to be ready to evacuate.

The Federal Aviation Administration said towers in hurricane-prone areas are built to withstand storm damage.

But should the winds prove too powerful, the FAA has said staff should evacuate the tower cabs - although in some cases they can work from lower levels.

"We prepare and protect air traffic control facilities along the projected storm path so we can quickly resume operations after the hurricane passes.

"Enabling flights to resume quickly is critical to support disaster relief efforts."

8:59PM

Trump: Heed the advice of local officials

8:09PM

Harvey strengthens to Category 3

The National Hurricane Center says Hurricane Harvey has strengthened to a Category 3 storm. 

7:46PM

Trump to visit Texas

Trump will go to Texas early next week in wake of Harvey, the White House has announced. A statement read:

7:45PM

Hurricane Harvey forces Coldplay to postpone Houston show

Coldplay was forced to postpone a concert in Houston scheduled for Friday night as the most powerful hurricane in a dozen years bore down on Texas, the band said.

Houston is not directly in the path of the storm, but it is expected to receive up to 20 inches of rain.

"We really wanted to play tonight, but sitting here all together watching the news about the storm we feel that we can't ask anyone to put their safety at risk," the band said on Twitter. "So, sadly, we will have to postpone."

Details about rescheduling and refunding would be published later, the band said.

7:43PM

'Very major disaster'

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is warning people that Hurricane Harvey "is going to be a very major disaster".

Mr Abbott said he had asked President Donald Trump for a federal disaster declaration.

7:14PM

Towns fear being inundated with water

The mayor of the popular Texas Gulf Coast city of Galveston says the city is expected to be inundated with water from Hurricane Harvey.

Mayor James Yarbrough said during a news conference on Friday that Hurricane Harvey is expected to flood downtown streets. A storm surge of 2 feet to 4 feet of water is expected to inundate much of the city while up to 8 feet could cover other areas. Storm surge is an abnormal rise of water above the normal tide, generated by a storm.

He says a leading concern is that high tide will occur on Saturday morning, shortly after Harvey makes landfall, and the water is not expected to recede for three or four days.

Galveston was lashed by Hurricane Ike in 2008 and Yarbrough says a difference is that Ike passed through quickly while Harvey will linger and drop substantial rainfall.

He says utility lines and other infrastructure have been upgraded since 2008 to withstand a Category 5 hurricane. Harvey is forecast to become a Category 3 by the time it makes landfall.